Hard News by Russell Brown

I guess this is also a good time to own up to writing this part of the issue. Yes, reader, I was Timothy Bleary …

I'd love to know what the Drug Foundation said in 1994. Was the ED Ross Henderson? He would have said something sensible, I'm sure.

LOL, Leaf and Tips, now there is a real blast from the past. That was like getting a Topsy instead of a Jelly Tip.

I’d love to know what the Drug Foundation said in 1994. Was the ED Ross Henderson? He would have said something sensible, I’m sure.

It was indeed Ross Henderson. And he sensibly said:

If you go to prison, a lot of people there are in for cultivation of cannabis and supply. If you go to the East Coast, you’ll fund a hell of a lot of people doing it to support their families. So what would you do?”

“Our approach is really clear.. We would start by making sure people are really well informed on the subject of cannabis. The first part of that is really the health effects and we would focus intensively on that. With the current status of the drug, it’s very hard to get across the level of health effects. In terms of cannabis use, people really need to know.

“Some educators believe that the only message you should put across is that it’s bad, bad, bad, don’t go anywhere near it, which doesn’t work for someone already using it. And it’s a great pity, because it undermines people’s ability to take notice of health issues around cannabis. It’s so dangerous because people need to be aware of the carcinogenics that are actually in cannabis.”

Okay, not all of it was sensible, but the belief at the time was clearly that cannabis was seriously carcinogenic. The doctor’s piece also cited a whole bunch of stuff – lung and jaw cancers, a link to childhood leukaemia – that no one really credits now.

Hey. I bought a copy of that issue after the cover grabbed me. For a wee kiwi just back from his OE, it was refreshing to read a sensible and enlightened New Zealand perspective at that time.

The ‘highatus’ is over!
I’m guessing the more nuanced Timothy Fleary didn’t fly,
nor carry the subtle unfocused fog of misty-eyed youth.

A very, very minor cavil that you can toss in the ‘silly, sigh, bin’….

Just out of interest - where did the 1994 version actually stop. I'm guessing just after the mention of David Lange but it would be wild if the Fletcher / Clark ref was 1994 instead of today.

It is 1994! I've added a line to clarify which is the original Planet text.

Out here in the backblocks you'll hear "marijuana", "weed", "pot", and other names. Cannabis is rarely used by Joe ThreeFingerDeal. It's more of a media thing.

Also a generational thing.